Curry Leaf-Marinated Flank Steak with Ginger-Horseradish Raita Recipe

Curry Leaf-Marinated Flank Steak with Ginger-Horseradish Raita Notes

This recipe was adapted from "The New American Chef" by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. It was used as an appetizer during their book signing event at The Spice House in Old Town Chicago in April 2004.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh curry leaves

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground sweet ancho chile

1 1/2 inche piece ginger, pureed

1 tablespoon garlic, pureed

1/2 cup canola oil

6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 flank steak (about 2 pounds), trimmed of excess fat

1 cup plain yogurt

1 inch piece fresh ginger, juiced

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish sauce

to taste, salt

to taste, freshly ground black pepper

to taste, sugar

1 large flatbread (or several small loaves)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup freeze-dried chives

Serves / Yields

20

Preparation Instructions

For the steak marinade, combine the curry leaves, pepper, cumin, chile powder, ginger puree, garlic puree, canola oil, and soy sauce in a blender and blend until smooth. Put the flank steak in a shallow dish and rub all over with the marinade. (A lage zip lock bag works well too, and can be thrown out after marination.) Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but no more than 7 hours.

For the raita (Indian yogurt sauce), combine the yogurt with the ginger and horseradish. Fold them in with a rubber spatula and season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to plate.

Grill the steak, turning once, to the desired temperature. Transfer to a platter and let rest until cooled. Thinly slice against the grain.

While the steak cools, brush the flatbread with olive oil and grill until warm and slightly crispy. Cut the bread into small triangles for individual servings.

To assemble, place a small slice of the flank steak artistically on each bread triangle. Spoon the raita sauce on top of the steak and sprinkle with chives as a garnish.

Helpful Hints

Fresh curry leaves can be found at Indian markets, which are plentiful on Devon Street, just west of Western Avenue in Chicago. If you use dried curry leaves, only use 1/4 to 1/2 the amount called for.
Good flatbread can also be found at Indian grocers.
If you don't have chives for a garnish, any green herb will work.